Panda cub naming survey produces provocative names

Jason Chao

The people of Macau have voted “Tam Tam”（貪貪）and “Wu Wu” （污污）as the “Civil Nicknames” for the panda cubs born in Macau.
The unofficial nicknames are the result of an online voting event hosted by online media outlet Macau Concealer, which is linked to the New Macau Association (ANM).
Together, the Chinese nicknames mean “corruption”; “Tam” alone means “greedy and unsatisfied”, while “Wu” has multiple meanings, including “dirty and corrupted”.
During a seven-day voting period, 1,024 people – verified via mobile phone numbers – voted on the cubs’ names.
The organizers suggested a list with 216 nicknames to help netizens choose. Only 112 nicknames received votes. “Tam Tam” and “Wu Wu” came out tops with 561 votes, 521 more than the runners-up.
The ANM proposed that the public should frequently call the cubs by these names so that they gain widespread acceptance.
Previously, local authorities had allowed the public to name the cubs’ parents “Hoi Hoi” and “Sam Sam”. This time, the Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau announced that it would select names to be chosen by the public, together with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
The ANM said it “would like to reiterate the disappointment over the Macau government’s decision of not allowing the official names to be chosen by popular vote, as in the case of “Hoi Hoi” and “Sam Sam”. It added that “the NMA would like to remind the citizens that the practice of “open nomination but closed selection process may be an attempt to construct an illusion of civic participation.”
The official names will be announced on October 3.